Heat insulating and ventilating garment



March 3, 1964 A. B. WEDIN HEAT INSULATING AND VENTILATING GARMENT Filed July 10. 1961 INVENTOR. i 7718 1 89-7"! hed/n I M WWW United States Patent 3,122,754 IEAT INSULATlNG AND VENTILATIN G GARE ENE Agne Berti! Wedin, Solvallavagen 39, Sundbyberg 2, Sweden Filed July 10, 1961, Ser. No. 122,944 Claims priority, application Weden July 12, 1960 3 Claims. ((11. 2--113) This invention relates to an undergarment which irrespective of climatic conditions and various motions of the body-will provide a comfortable microclimate between the clothing and the skin of the wearer.

The general object of the invention is to provide such an undergarment in the form of a vest which is formed of a material comprising channels specifically directed, formed and dimensioned in order to make use of the same layer of air either for thermal insulation or for facilitating the perspiration to evaporate more readily from the skin and escape to the outside air.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a layer of air dimensioned for an optimum thermal insulation when the heat loss of the body exceeds the heat production, and a simple system of channels of such dimensions that it allows a rapid ventilation when the heat production exceeds the heat loss and the heat excess and the moisture, i.e. the perspiration, is to be removed to the outside air. The appropriate regulation i.e. insulation and/or ventilation, in the undergarment can be effected by various measures but mainly it is automatically effected by the movements of the body. When resting, the body needs an increased insulation but a minimised ventilation of moisture. Appropriately a thermally insulating stratum, a layer of dead air, is established in the channels of the undergarment. By movements the body has a lesser demand for thermal insulation, but an increased requirement for moisture laden air ventilation. Motions of the body will cause a greater ventilation the greater are the motions.

The invention consists in a thermally insulating and moisture ventilating undergarment comprising a body portion, two arm portions, and a neck portion formed with a plurality of vertically extending channels bounded by cords said cords being kept at an adequate distance from each other by threads of relatively small diameter with respect to the cords, said channels formed in the body portion, as well as in the arm portions and in the neck portion converging in -a radiating manner to and ending at the neck opening.

It is a further feature of the invention that the vertically extending channels have their lower ends in the lower edge of the body portion of the garment and their upper ends converging radially to the neck opening of the garment and maintaining a circulation of the air into and out of this opening.

It is another feature of the invention that vertically extending cords of the garment are made of tWi-ned hydrophilic material with high moisture absorption qualities in order to facilitate a rapid absorption of the perspiration from the skin and its distribution to a greater portion of the cords than corresponds to the perspiring skin area. The vertically extending cords are maintained in their proper relationship by thin but mechanically strong threads, preferably formed of plastic material having little or no moisture absorption qualities.

A further important feature of the invention resides in a specific construction of the binding about the neck opening with a series of unrestricted endings of the channels into this opening.

When this undergarment is worn on the body the channels bounded by the cords are further enclosed by the "ice skin of the wearer and an overlying article of clothing such as a shirt. The vertically extending cords will thus direct perspiration and other vapors upwards due to the fact that various items of clothing function as a form of bellows upon movements of the body. The radiating arrangement of the cords towards the neck opening allows for an effective escape of the moisture to the outside air when the throat portions of the outer garment are loosened.

The invention will now be described, by way of exam ple only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the ventilating undergarment or vest;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view showing the neck port-ion and the binding around the opening;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view showing a modified embodiment of the neck portion and the binding around the opening; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view of an embodiment of the waist portion of the underganment as shown in FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawing more specifically, the undergarment or vest 1 is provided with a neck portion 2 and arm portions 3, and preferably has a binding 4 around the neck opening. The body of the undergarment is formed of a plurality of longitudinally spaced cords 5 preferably twined and having a diameter or thickness of about 2.5 mm. to adequately space the clothing from the skin of the wearer and provide a layer of air with an optimum thermal insulation.

These vertically extending cords are spaced preferably by an optimum distance amounting to 11 mm. to provide a series of adequate channels 6 therebetween and may be maintained in their proper relationship by horizontally extending thin threads 7 of plastic material, e.g. the material marketed under the registered trade name Ter-ylene. 'Ihe vertically extending channels direct the flowing air towards the neck opening where it can escape without any obstacle.

The cords 5 are preferably formed of cotton or other material having high moisture absorbing qualities. The thin spacer threads 7 are formed of plastic material, having low moisture absorbing qualities.

As shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawing, which is an enlarged detail View of EIGURE 1, the binding 4 around the neck opening serves for the attachment of the endings 9 of the cords 5. However, particularly when the undergarment is to be worn under warm climatic conditions the relatively thick binding may contribute to close off the endings 10 of the channels 6 restricting to a certain degree a free flow of air and moisture through the neck portion, which may be unsuitable.

Consequently, in order to provide for an unrestricted flow of air and moisture beyond the neck opening into the outside air it has proved that a preferred arrangement should be such that the endings 9 of the cords in accordance with FIGURE 3 will terminate :freely or be retained in position by an underlying supporting strip or binding 11 encircling the neck. As seen in this FIG- URE the endings 9 of such cords extend to the topmost edge of said binding 11 providing entirely open mouths for said channels 6.

In order to maintain an unrestricted air flow upwards through the channels, as illustrated in FIGURE 4, the undergarment is provided with an underlying horizontal strip 8 level with the waist-strap and preventing the cords from being pressed into the skin.

Having now described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A heat-insulating and ventilating garment comprising a plurality of longitudinal cords having a predetermined diameter defining a front portion, back portion and sleeve portions, said cords being disposed in spaced relationship with respect to each other to define channels converging into a neck opening, and lateral cords of smaller diameter than said longitudinal cords being spaced 7 from each other and interconnecting said longitudinal cords to maintain same spaced from each other, a single band underlying only and secured to the upper ends of said longitudinal cords whereby said channels provide an unrestricted airflow for the longitudinal extent of the garment, said longitudinal cords having their upper ends underlaid by a band to which they are connected.

2. A {heat insulating and ventilating garment comprising a plurality of longitudinal cords having a predetermined diameter to provide a certain thickness to the garment when 'Worn between an outer layer of clothing and the wearers skin, said cords defining a front portion, back portion and sleeve portions, said cords being disposed in spaced relationship with each other to provide longitudinal channels therebetween, said cords having their upper ends converging toward a neck opening provided in the garment, a neck band secured to one side only of the upper ends of said longitudinal cords whereby said channels formed thereby provide an unrestricted airflow for the longitudinal extent of the garment, and laterally extending cords vertically spaced from each other and of substantially smaller diameter than said longitudinal cords interconnecting said longitudinal cords to maintain said longitudinal cords in parallel relation when Worn.

3. A heat-insulating and ventilating garment according to claim 2, in which a waist band is connected in underlying relation to said longitudinal cords in the,

middle region of the garment. 7

Oh-ich et a1 May 22, 1951 Kostopoulos Sept. 16, 1952 

1. A HEAT-INSULATING AND VENTILATING GARMENT COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINAL CORDS HAVING A PREDETERMINED DIAMETER DEFINING A FRONT PORTION, BACK PORTION AND SLEEVE PORTIONS, SAID CORDS BEING DISPOSED IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER TO DEFINE CHANNELS CONVERGING INTO A NECK OPENING, AND LATERAL CORDS OF SMALLER DIAMETER THAN SAID LONGITUDINAL CORDS BEING SPACED FROM EACH OTHER AND INTERCONNECTING SAID LONGITUDINAL CORDS TO MAINTAIN SAME SPACED FROM EACH OTHER, A SINGLE BAND UNDERLYING ONLY AND SECURED TO THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID LONGITUDINAL CORDS WHEREBY SAID CHANNELS PROVIDE AN UNRESTRICTED AIRFLOW FOR THE LONGITUDINAL EXTENT OF THE GARMENT, SAID LONGITUDINAL CORDS HAVING THEIR UPPER ENDS UNDERLAID BY A BAND TO WHICH THEY ARE CONNECTED. 